Councilman appointed as Cedar Hills mayor

CEDAR HILLS — City Councilman Gary Gygi was sworn in as mayor Thursday night after a public meeting in which nine candidates were interviewed for the position.

He takes over the post from Councilwoman Stephanie Martinez, who had been serving as mayor pro tempore since the resignation of Eric Richardson on June 24. Gygi will serve as mayor for the remainder of the current term, which comes up for election in 2013.

"It is an honor to have the opportunity to serve as mayor of Cedar Hills," Gygi said in a prepared statement from the city. "This is a wonderful city with a lot of potential. Great things are happening. I look forward to working with residents, staff and the council as we work toward a successful future."

Richardson resigned amid allegations of fraud and has since been charged in federal court in connection with an equity skimming scheme. He had also been under fire from a group of residents over allegations of withholding public information and inappropriate management of city finances.